Originally published Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 10:02 PM
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Local club-maker celebrating its 25th anniversary
Redbird Sports has come out with its 19th and 20th model lines of irons, a new line of fairway metals and a new wedge series.
Special to The Seattle Times
The little Beacon Hill golf company that could is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Redbird Sports has come out with its 19th and 20th model lines of irons, a new line of fairway metals and a new wedge series.
The owner and co-founder of Redbird is Jay Turner, who grew up on Beacon Hill about five blocks from Fred Couples. As kids they would hop the fence and sneak onto Jefferson Park Golf Course and play. When they were in high school, they worked at the course's driving range.
Couples has been under contract with large manufacturers during his storied career but at times over the years has had a Redbird club or two in his bag, according to Turner.
Another successful local golfer who used Redbirds on Tour was Rick Fehr.
Turner has a reputation for quality products, careful club-fitting and generosity. He has been a "soft touch" when it comes to donating equipment to charitable events, especially those that benefit inner-city golf.
"People were good to me when I was a kid, and you have to repay the favor," he said.
Asked to estimate how much equipment he has donated over the years, he replied, "Lots — more than the big companies."
A "big company" is exactly what Turner says he doesn't want Redbird to become.
"I have no desire to be bigger," he said. "I want to be able to talk to people and touch things and keep my hands dirty."
Redbird is best known as an iron company. It has made woods for decades (now under the Avian name) and has made hybrids for about six years.
Turner has two full-time and three part-time employees.
The company slogan: "You didn't come off an assembly line. Why settle for clubs that do?"
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